1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC (Integrated Circuit) manufacturing apparatus, particularly, a machining apparatus for an IC sheet wherein a plurality of ICs are coupled through lead frames and, more particularly, to an IC sheet cutting press for cutting ICs from an IC sheet and an IC processing apparatus using the same.
A typical IC sheet manufacturing process includes a process for cutting ICs from an IC sheet, or a procedure of bending lead terminals of ICs after the ICs are cut from an IC sheet. An IC sheet cutting press is used for cutting ICs from an IC sheet in such an IC sheet manufacturing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an IC cutting process is performed using a press, it is difficult to cut ICs through a single press machining process due to the structure of an IC sheet, and thus a plurality of steps of press machining are generally required. For this reason, in an IC sheet cutting press, a series of a plurality of types of press molds (cutting molds) are arranged along an IC sheet feed path, and a series of press machining steps are performed while the IC sheets are fed stepwise.
In a conventional IC sheet cutting press, press molds for the respective press machining steps are independent of each other, and are individually positioned and mounted on a press table. An IC sheet feed mechanism is independent of the press molds, and is separately positioned and mounted on the frame of the press independently of the cutting molds.
As is well known, there are a large number of types of ICs and, hence, there are a large number of types of IC sheets. When an IC sheet cutting press is converted for machining another type of IC sheet, various adjustment operations, e.g., for changing of press molds, or changing feeding intervals between adjacent press molds or changing feeding interval of the IC sheet, and the like, are required.
However, in the conventional IC cutting press, since the respective press molds and the IC sheet feed mechanism are independent of each other, the above-mentioned adjustment operations are very complicated, and require much labor and time even for skilled workers. Therefore, the IC sheet cutting press must be stopped for a long period of time, thus lowering work efficiency and productivity. For this reason, even if the IC sheet cutting press is a general-purpose type, it often must be especially used for machining a given type of IC sheet, thus impairing practical compatibility.
Meanwhile, a so-called progressive mold (cut-and-feed mold or multistage transfer mold) is known as a type of press mold wherein a plurality of dies and punches and a workpiece feed mechanism are mounted on a single die set, and a series of press machinings can be successively performed while the workpieces are fed stepwise. The progressive mold advantageously requires no complex adjustment operation since the entire mold is replaced for machining another type of workpiece. However, the dies, the punches, and the workpiece feed mechanism cannot be separately mounted or removed or modified. Even when only some of them need be exchanged or modified, another mold must be prepared. Therefore, in an IC sheet cutting press for machining a large number of types of IC sheets, it is disadvantageous to adopt the progressive mold in terms of a mold manufacturing cost.